Welcome to the RETURN TO ME discussion! Grab your favorite beverage, a tasty snack and settle back. We’re going to be talking about Noah McCall and Samara Lyons, two of my favorite LCR characters. Feel free to chime in and share your thoughts of their story, favorite lines and scenes, or ask me questions. And if you have questions for Noah or Samara, here’s your chance. Also, if you have questions or comments regarding RESCUE ME, feel free to ask them too. The books are so closely related, it's hard not to talk about one without the other. You'll see that in my comments below.
Be warned, there are spoilers ahead!
The moment I met Noah, I knew I was going to have to know his story. At first, I thought he and Eden would be a couple. It seemed to make such sense. Noah had rescued and trained her. Why wouldn’t they fall in love? Eden quickly let me know that Jordan still held her heart and she looked upon Noah as her mentor, friend and boss, but nothing more. So that meant I was going to have to find someone for Noah. A woman worthy of the man who felt he had no heart. I found that woman in Samara.
I knew I would be walking a fine line with this relationship. Samara had broken up with Jordan—the man she believed she loved…intended to marry. Their break-up in RESCUE ME was a minor plot point. I never intended to take her character any further than the one phone call near the beginning of the book and then mention that Jordan had ended things with Samara because he was falling for Eden. But then, I began to wonder about Samara. How did she really feel about Jordan? When he’s injured and she comes to the hospital and lies about being his fiancée to get in to see him, she intrigued me. What kind of woman would be gutsy enough to rush to see a man who’d broken her heart? No matter how injured he was, I would think it would take someone of strong character.
By the end of the first draft of RESCUE ME, I knew that Samara and Noah would be a couple. However, I originally had no more of Samara in the book other than Eden overhearing Samara say she was Jordan’s fiancé. My editor urged me to introduce her. Since the first two LCR books were released three weeks apart, she felt it would be a great teaser. I’m so glad she suggested that, because I learned so much about both Samara and Noah in those scenes. Every time I brought them together, sparks flew. (:
As you know, Noah’s childhood is one of the worst of all the LCR people. Not only was he abused by his father, abandoned by his beloved mother and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, he was sexually brutalized. I had only a vague idea of what happened to Noah in prison. I got the full story, with everyone else, when he was trying to encourage Samara to tell him what happened to her. Having him admit that to her broke my heart and made me love him even more.
The villain was unexpected as well. In RESCUE ME, I knew that Noah was more personally involved in a case than he usually was—an indication that someone in his past had returned. However, it wasn’t until I was on page 100 of my first draft of RETURN TO ME, that I knew the identity of that person. When Samara raises her head and looks up at her abuser, I was shocked too.
I think I received more emails about RETURN TO ME than any of my other books. I’m not sure if it was because it’s Noah’s story or the book grabbed readers more than any other LCR book. Though the emails were kind, the reviews ranged from fabulous to one and two starred rants. The criticism Noah received for his treatment of Thomas Bennett surprised me, though I’m not sure why. I don’t condone Noah’s behavior, but I do understand it. His determination to protect the innocent by almost any means necessary goes well beyond what most people would be comfortable doing.
Introducing Ethan Bishop wasn't planned. I hadn't yet decided on the characters for the third LCR book. But then, there he was, looking out for Samara, and so sad and hollow, I knew immediately RUN TO ME had to be for him.
Another surprising event was the phone call Noah made to Rebecca near the end. I didn’t know the identity of the person he was calling until he asked to speak with her, but it only made sense that he would try to make amends. Even years later, he still felt responsible for what happened.
I not only loved Noah and Samara together, I adored that she rarely let him get away with things. He could scowl and intimidate most people but not this petite, fragile looking woman. I think Samara ended up surprising both of us with her feistiness and spirit.
This book was a true by the seat of my pants book. Though I knew the destination for my characters, I had no idea what journey they would take to get there. Each chapter became a surprise, delight or a frustration, but I enjoyed writing Noah and Samara’s story probably more than any other LCR book. I truly love these characters and I feel fortunate that each book in the series always has a scene or two with Noah and oftentimes Samara. Being able to keep up with them and watch them love and grow as a family is so much fun.
Here’re are some little known facts and changes I made to RETURN TO ME:
1) After writing the first two LCR books, my editor and I discussed changing the order, allowing Noah’s book to go first since he's the leader of Last Chance Rescue. That would have meant rewriting both books, changing characters and storylines. I’m so thankful that didn’t happen.
2) Noah’s real name was supposed to have been Micah. However, it was determined it was too unusual and might be confusing for the reader, so we changed it to Michael. I was thrilled that when Noah and Samara had their son, they named him Micah.
3) In the first draft, Noah killed the villain in the middle of the book. A dear writer friend of mine asked me why I killed the bad guy off so soon. I’m so grateful she asked that question because she was so right. The book was so much stronger with the prison escape, along with the scene of Noah and Samara working together to bring him down.
4) I cried over the cover. 'Nuff said. (:
Some of my favorite RTM lines:
Turning away from him, she grabbed the nearest weapon, a photograph of her entire family. She swung at him.
He easily grabbed her wrist and held it, grinning. “What are you trying to do, frame me?”
Standing on her toes, she leaned against him and cupped his face in her hands. “Go. Do what you have to do. Be the hero that you are…but come back to me. There’s more to Noah McCall than Last Chance Rescue. I see that man…I love them both.” She pulled his head down to her and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. “Return to me, Noah. Please.”
And, the wedding scene continues to be one of my favorites from all of my books.
So there, dear friends, are my notes and thoughts on RETURN TO ME. I hope you enjoyed going doing memory lane with me. Now, let me hear from you. Comments, questions or observations?
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I collected lots of books, along with bookmarks and romance trading cards, while I was at the RT convention. Five random commenters will win these prizes. Also, later on in the day, I'll post a RETURN TO ME trivia challenge. Winner wins fabulous prize package!
Looking forward to your comments!
